Morning journal and courier., 1887-02-10
THE SHOPLHFEERS
New York's Big Dry Goods Houses OF
 gan1Zfng Against Them.

From the New York Mail and Express.I
 Storekeepers on the principal shopping thoroughfares are talking of forming pro tective agency against the swarm of pick pockets and shoplifters who have reaped a rich harvest during the busy seasons for several years past. Each year they seem to grow more numerous and expert, and al though one or two arrests made daily, hundreds of these ''crooks'' boldly pursue their vocation without fear of detection. A junior member of one of the largest retail dry goods houses on Fourteenth street com plained to a reporter the other day of the lack of police protection afforded store keepers.
 ''During the holiday season." he said, "detectives employed in all the large stores. This is done by the proprietors more for their own protection than that of their customers. Customers are supposed to take care of themselves and their property. For the most part the detectives are hired from private detective agencies. While they are conscientious in the discharge of their duty, they generally lack knowledge of their business. In the first place they know by sight only few of the notorious thieves. Any smart shoplifter can pick out a detect i've after sauntering around store once. The private detective usually is too offici- ous, and if lady happens to pick up lace collar or piece of silk for examination, Mir. Detective is at her elbow in moment, and anyone can see that the lady is being watched. Quite often arrests made by mistake and this is brought about solely on account of the detective's ignorance of the people he is deal ing with.
 It is a rare thing for Central office detec- tive to make any such blunder. Unlike the private detective, he generally knows every shoplifter in the city, and customer who is careless enough to carry lace collar or pair of gloves away from one of the fare fflHz ardS fha f0 nfa f1a article, but simply see how it looks in day light, would not be grabbed by the arm and hurried off to the station house. But we cannot get the detective sergeants from h. spector Byrnes' office to perambulate stores all day. and we have to employ priv ate detectives Of course, I do not mean to be understood that none of these competent. Many of them are, but the supply of competent ones is not sufficient and never will be. In few stores two smart clerks are used as detectives, but they do not fill the bill. The result of all this is great loss to us. It is not so much what is stolen from the counters, but it is the loss to customers of their pocketbooks and very often the nasty arrests by the de- tectives. In this we have lost number of 1 good customers.
 eff lady goes home and tells her bus band that she lost her pocketbook in such | and such store, her lord and master is ready to swear that some thieying clerk has stolen it and forbids her dealing there any | more. Again, if lady is arrested by mis- take and subjected to the indignity of being searched, the chances are ten to one that the newspapers pitch into us and suit for dam ages is begun by the injured lady. All her friends take their trade to some other house. Now the relief that is proposed is this: An association of all the principal retailers of dry goods is to be formed and an indepen- dent detective agency organized. There will ha tra1 off for data wha will be kept the pictures of all shoplifters and crooks, not only of this city, but of all others throughout the country. There will also be on file list of the arrests of shop filters for ten years past, with a brief sketch of the criminals. At the head of our de tective agency will be inspector, and we intend getting the best man in the business. ftThe detectives will be changed from one store to another each week, and in this way they will become familiar with the regular customers of dry goods stores and there will be less chance for mistakes. There will be something else done besides watching the counters and customers will not miss their purses so often. 1 do not see how such a system can fail to result in big improve ment over the present detective service in the stores Take any large public demon stration where score of pickpockets mix in the throng, and you will find that the in- spectors of police are there with their men, and that if hand is slipped into some one else's pocket the intruder is nabbed in an 1n stant. You never hear of the wrong man being arrested, simply because the inspectors and their detectives know how to work. I'll venture to say that when central office de- tective really means to act on the square he can do more good work than any five private detectives. It is high time the men engaged in our business realized the situation. The plan have proposed would cost less to all of us and everyone would be better pleased. ;1 y9 ion A. ral weeks, and have no doubt that 1t will be effected without further delay"